Charlie's Dragon
by Twilight Phantom Dragon
Summary: Charlie Weasley, an 11 year-old, must take his biggest challenge yet, going to Hogwarts. At first, all he feels is excitement, but he meets a gang of Slytherins who chase him into the forest where he finds an unforgettable friend. Charlie POV
1. Little Creatures that I Love

**Author's Notes: I've never really written any Harry Potter fanfic before, so I decided to have a shot once this idea came into my mind. I always did like Charlie as well as dragons. ****My friend, nightstarz, wouldn't stop bugging me to start writing this once I told her my idea. ****Oh yeah, this is written in first person. I'll leave you to guess ****whose**** narrating. We'll start now since I'm sure you're tired of hearing me rant.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I do own this story, so no STEALING!**

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_**Chapter 1: Little Creatures that I Love**_

I quickly stuffed the trunk with clothing. Finally I was going to Hogwarts. I've heard so much of it from my older brother, Bill, and from my parents. Of course, hearing is a lot different than actually going there. My clothes were being stubborn (or maybe I just overstuffed it), but either way, it wasn't closing. I growled furiously and jumped on it a few times. It finally closed and I snapped the locks. A grin of triumph formed on my face.

"Good job. Maybe when you graduate, you'll be able to close a trunk without jumping on it like an idiot." A voice behind me had spoken.

I turned around and scowled at my brother, Bill. "Who asked you?"

"Imagine… My little brother is going to Hogwarts." Bill had ignored my comment, a fact that made me frown. It earned a confused look from my brother who asked, "You don't want to go?"

I rolled my eyes. Sometimes my brother could be really clueless. "Of course I want to go, dummy." I grabbed the nearest thing, my pillow, and threw it at him.

He caught it and grinned at me. "I would throw it back, but I know better." He scoffed and paused. He glanced at the pillow and a mischievous look came across his face. "Then again, this is funner."

Next thing I knew, I was pinned to the floor by my brother's larger body. He held me down and shook his head. I struggled under him, but his heavy weight was too much for me. I was lean while Bill had some muscle.

"Lemme go!" I shouted at him, still struggling. He yawned, angering me further. "Get off me." Bill ignored me.

Desperate times count for desperate measures. I turned my head, so I was facing my brother's hand. The one that was clamped tightly around my shoulder for the moment. I leaned towards it and bit down. Hard. I could taste a bitter taste in my mouth from the blood that began dripping from Bill's hand.

"What the hell did you do that for?!" He yelled as he jumped away from me, freeing me from the crushing prison I had been in. Already, Bill was sucking on his wound. I actually felt proud that I had made my brother back off. Though we didn't actually ever fight, Bill and I occasionally got into conflicts. He always came out on top, but not this time. This time, I won.

"You were crushing me." I said in a matter-of-fact voice that I knew Bill would hate.

"Little lycan!" I flinched a bit as my brother called me a werewolf. "You're just like the animals you're always dragging home." He turned away from me and a scowl played across my face. Here we go again.

You see, I'm always bringing home animals, injured ones. I love creatures, but I love the magical ones best. They've always fascinated me and I even have a few books on them. Despite all the reading, I don't know too much about the really magical ones because you can only learn so much from reading. In Hogwarts, I will definitely take some Care of Magical Creatures classes.

"They're always hurt and just need a little care." I said quickly in defense of the various animals I brought home. Last week, I had brought in a ground squirrel that was currently staying in a comfortable box under my bed as he recovered from a blistered paw.

"Yeah, and they always end up in our room." Bill growled. "Just because of this, I'm telling mom about that brown rat you took in."

"He's a ground squirrel! And his name is Chuck!" I shouted at Bill. You would think living in a house with a big family would be hard. Well, it is. And it's even worse since I have to share a room with Bill.

"I don't care. I'm tired of you always having 'pets' that bite me at every available chance."

"That wasn't Chuck's fault. You shouldn't have bugged him." Once again, I sprang to the defense of Chuck.

"Chuck or not, I'm tired of them." Bill stomped out of the room, slamming the door on his way out.

"Grouch." I hissed. I crossed my arms and sat on my bed. Now I was regretting having bit my brother. I looked under my bed and pulled out a box where an aggravated ground squirrel was running around in. I looked at Chuck. His paw was a lot better and I had planned to let him go today since tomorrow I would be heading to Hogwarts.

I sighed. "It's okay, Chuck. Come on, let's go outside." I stood up with a heavy heart. Fighting with your closest brother does that to you. Chuck stopped running around and contended himself with looking out the side of the box.

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It was after dinner. Dinner had been fairly quiet unless you count Percy going on about how Fred and George had put newts in his bed again quiet. My mom didn't say anything about Bill and me, so I was hoping that Bill hadn't told her. Either that or she would pin me in a room all alone with her. That would be a nightmare. Mom can really go on with punishments, but she always means for the better.

I was lying on my stomach on my bed, clutching the pillow I had thrown at Bill earlier. He wasn't in our room and I was soundly afraid. What if he was telling mom now? The question striked fear in me. I listened quietly for any sign of anyone coming up the creaky staircase. We really needed to repair it.

A step creaked and I burrowed into my dark green blankets. They were warm and made me feel safe. Almost as if I was all alone in this world. Then again, being alone wouldn't be so great since I wouldn't be able to play Quidditch with anyone. Another step creaked. My hope was running out. Unless the creaks continued leading to Ron, Fred, and George's room, I was sunk. The creaks stopped and my door opened.

Quickly I started my excuse, "I didn't mean to. Bill tackled me and I wanted to get free. Please don't punish me especially the night before I go to Hogwarts. Please don't."

I heard a laugh and I realized it wasn't my mom. It was Bill. Now I could see his red head poking in through the door. I began sweating immediately. Was my brother going to make me go down to mom?

"Sorry. I didn't mean to. Please, don't let mom punish me. Wait, until… We come back for winter break. Please, I don't want to be in trouble. And I didn't..."

"I'm not telling her." His voice cut me off and I stared in wonder at Bill. He noted the confusion that was present in my face and continued. "I thought about it and I realize that I would've done the same thing."

"Wouldn't you just have pushed me off since you're bigger?" I said with a tilt of my head.

"Well yes, but if something bigger mauled me, I would've bit them too. I didn't tell mom about that squirrel…"

"Chuck."

"About Chuck… He can stay a bit longer, so long as he stops biting." He said, but I shook my head. I was pleased that he had finally realized that Chuck wasn't bad. Unfortunately, it was a bit late for love.

"Chuck's gone. I let him go." I murmured. No matter how many animals I kept, I always let them go in the end. It didn't even matter if I badly wanted them as a pet. My mom probably would go ballistic if she found out I kept a wild animal.

"Oh…" Bill lowered his head. I bet he wanted to say bye to our roommate. The thought made me grin though Bill caught it as a sign that I was playing a joke on him. Typical. "Are you sure he's not under your bed or somewhere?"

"I let him go after I bit you…" My voice was honest and Bill believed me. I wasn't known for lying. In fact, I was a terrible liar, one of the worst.

"Well that's almost a shame." I caught the small note of sadness in Bill's voice and smiled to myself. Even if he was pretending not to have liked the little critter, I knew he would miss him almost as much as me. Hey, he can't miss him anymore than I will. Chuck had been one of my favorites, but I was sure we would find him one day, nibbling on some of mom's cabbage. Silence followed.

"What's Hogwarts like?" I had asked the question a million times by now, okay maybe more like a thousand, but it was rather common in my conversations with older members of the family. It was an excellent question to break awkward silences.

"You're going to have to wait and find out." Bill answered me in the same way he answered me everyday this summer. The answer was very unsatisfying except for the excitement that I would be going to Hogwarts tomorrow.

"Tomorrow…" I said happily.

"Yeah… It seems like you're growing up so fast."

"You're not that old, Bill, so stop acting like my elder. That's more of a… Percy thing." I grinned at the thought of my younger brother. Even if he was younger, he was already becoming strict and almost boring. The only excitement with him was his reactions to the twins' pranks. We both laughed.

"Right. Now let's get some sleep." Bill walked over to his sandy colored blankets and fell down on them. "We're going to need our energy for tomorrow."

"What energy? We're going to be sitting in a train for a few hours." I snorted at the thought of having to run around while on a train.

"Just go to sleep. You'll be a lot better off if you're rested." I rolled my eyes. Bill sure sounded a lot older right now. I remember last year he had been unable to sleep for most of the night. Maybe he should understand that I won't be able to get to sleep for a while either.

"Don't snore." I called to him. His response was a grunt and I laughed before curling up in my own bed. "Night, don't let the bed bugs bite."

Tomorrow was going to be one of the best days of my life. Maybe it'll even be one of my best days ever. Hogwarts had always seemed an out-of-reach place, almost a fantasy castle, but now I would finally see it for myself. No, better than seeing it, I will experience the wonders of learning there. Another nice bonus is I won't have mom punish me though I promised myself I wouldn't get in trouble. Hogwarts, here I come.

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**Author's Notes: Don't ****worry;**** later chapters will be much more exciting. I just wanted to show how much Charlie loved animals and get a chance at creating him a personality to fit his 11-old self. This was fairly fun to write.**** Since I have two other stories, I might take a while to update.**** Now, I gave you this story, so maybe you can give a bit. Go on, don't be shy. Press the little button, send a review. Hugs for all those who read and review!**

_**Twilight Phantom Dragon**_


	2. Friends and Foes

**Author's Notes: Well then…. I'm starting my second chapter and I hope I can keep a good personality going with Charlie… Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I do own this story, so no STEALING!**

_**Chapter 2: Friends and Foes**_

I was standing in the train station surrounded by Muggles running around and my family. I was literally bursting with excitement. Finally I would run through the wall to actually get on the train. That's amazing, isn't it? It seems like yesterday when I was taking care of small creatures like Chuck, well that was yesterday. 

"Calm down, Char." Bill put a hand on my shoulder. Even if he was acting all 'cool' about this, I know he's excited to go back to Hogwarts. I don't think the greatness of going there ever fades even in your seventh year. "I'll go first." Making sure no Muggles were watching, Bill ran at the wall, phasing through it. 

"Good-bye." I waved at my family as I got ready to run. I had done it last year and I was certain I could go alone. Plus, running into the station the first time would be so embarrassing if you had to drag along a parent to instruct you. 

"Be careful, sweetie. Are you sure you don't want me to run with you?" My mom asked. I love her, but she can be a bit protective. 

"I'm fine. Bye, mom." Before I could run with my luggage of stuff, my mom stopped me once more. She gave me a huge hug that I returned halfheartedly. I was bored with standing around.

"Bye. Oh… I can't believe another of my boys is going. This is so exciting." My mom said. Tears were flocking to her eyes, my sign to leave. Now.

"When can we go?" I heard Fred whine as I ran at the wall. For a few seconds, I felt magic running through me as I passed through the wall. Then I was on the other side. Platform 9 ¾ was nice as was the Hogwarts Express. The walls were brick, but I loved the train more. It was beautiful and I stared at it for a few seconds. I'm not a fan of vehicles, but I do appreciate them when they're this nice. Now I just have to see the inside. 

I began walking towards the train. I weaved between families that were saying good-bye to each other. Bill was among a group of friends. I skirted him carefully. It would make finding me easier for mom if all she had to do was find Bill. It seemed like Bill and his friends were having fun talking about their summers. I had no plans in confronting him in case he went to 

mom and dragged me along. What can I say; I'm not a fan of long, teary good-byes. Mom gave one to Bill last year.

As I walked away from Bill towards the train, a grin spread across my face. Finally my dream of going to Hogwarts will be fulfilled. Nothing can damper my spirit… Well maybe if my mom suddenly found me. I sped into a jog before crashing into something hard. Ouch!

"What do you want, punk?" I looked up into the face of the meanest and ugliest creature I've ever seen. And that's saying a lot since I've seen some nasty creatures before. This thing has a square, bald head. His eyes were squinted as he glared at me. I'm fairly sure that his eyes are always like that. His fetid stench reached my nose, making me wonder what he had eaten for breakfast. 

"A nose plug," I quipped. I know. Insulting ugly things that are larger than you is rarely a good idea, but I couldn't help it. I stepped back to get a better view of the thug. He was muscled and I was slightly starting to wish my big mouth was glued shut.

"Why you! You insulting Grag?" Grag said in a threatening voice. Yup, he was definitely dumb.

"Look who's learned to distinguish different types of speech." My small sarcastic spirit poked through the glue I was trying to put around my mouth. 

"I'm going to crush you!" Grag screamed at me. I was blown back by his breath. Man that was disgusting. I wrinkled my nose in disgust to try to minimize the scent I smelled. It hardly helped.

"Can you do that later? I want to get a good seat." I stepped to the right and began to walk forwards. Grag put an arm up as he shook his head. A growl was rising from his throat.

"Down boy." A cocky and snobby voice said. I twisted my head to see a blonde boy strolling over. He had an annoying smile on his face. Man, I wanted to smack it off. I would too if he was closer or if I knew some magic. Which I will when I start Hogwarts. I grin at the thought.

"What are you smiling at?" The boy said glaring at me. I scowled back. 

"I'm sorry." My voice got sarcastic. "Is this your territory because you might want to think of hanging a sign somewhere?" My eyes narrowed as I watched the blonde boy come up to me. He was taller than me though not as tall as Bill. I bet I could take him if fighting ever came. As for Grag, well I'll hope I get some friends by then.

"No, but Grag doesn't like having punks like you crash into you." I glanced at Grag who was staring at me with a scrunched up face. It was like his brain was trying to process something.

"…. Punk kid looks like..." His face scrunched up again as he sought for the right word. "Kid looks like a Weasel kid…"

"Do I look like a weasel?" I said with a tinge of distaste. Inside I was quaking. Did Grag know my brother? Or anyone else in my family? I mean, we Weasleys all have red hair and freckles. It's fairly easy to recognize us. Maybe Grag was a bully to Bill though he never said anything. If so, that's typical Bill behavior. 

"You sure?" The blonde boy looked carefully at me before laughing. "You're right. I'll get you a treat." Grag panted like some dog waiting for a reward. This was one animal I would never want to care for. I pity his parents. "So Weasley kid… What's your name?"

"What's yours?" I asked. I wanted to know how he knew my family. We're not exactly famous and I was sure the boy's parents didn't work in the same department as my family. I actually bet his parents were Death Eaters seeing how jerky he was. 

"I don't have time for that punk. Now tell me or Grag will crush your head." The blonde boy's lips curled into a smirk. He thought he had won. I could already see Grag cracking his knuckles from the corner of my eyes. While I was not in the mood of having my head crushed by some bully, I didn't want to accept defeat. 

"Sure you will. And then I'll have Bill enchant you into a pair of skinks." Seeing the confused expressions of the boys, I added. "A skink is a type of lizard." I shrugged before a grin came on my face. Grag was now looking less sure and I was sure the confidence of both of them had fallen.

"Oh yeah. Your brother is Bill, isn't he?" While I didn't want to say much, I nodded my head to the blonde boy's questions. "I doubt he even knows that type of magic yet. They don't teach you transfiguration of humans in your first year, right Grag?" He glanced at his larger buddy.

"Ummm…. Well I don't know… I forgot." Grag looked embarrassed. In my mind, I was already starting a little victory dance. He rubbed his head thoughtfully.

"Stupid…" The blonde boy glanced at me and his eyes narrowed. "Grag… We've got ourselves a new victim." The boy turned his back on me and stalked off towards the train. I glared at his back as he left though I shared a smile with myself.

"Nice job, kid," said a voice from behind me. I was tired of being called a kid and turned around to meet my confronter. It was a girl. She continued, "Dealing with Grag and Malcolm." So that's what the blonde boy's name is… Malcolm…

The girl was pretty. She had wavy brown hair with blonde streaks running through it. It fell down to the middle of her back. Her eyes were a nice shade of blue and seemed fathomless. 

Her face seemed to glow and she was smiling. I know this sounds ridiculous, but I loved her. She was cute and I knew I definitely would like to get to know her. 

"Thanks…" I could feel my face getting hotter. That wasn't a good sign.

"I'm Belinda, but call me Lin." She struck out one hand. I took her hand. It was warm and I swear I felt electricity coursing through me. Well maybe that's just me talking.

"I'm Charlie." I said after a few moments of standing there like an idiot. I have got to get a grip on myself. I can't let myself go wild over the first girl who had actually spoken to me other than mom and Ginny. 

"You can let go of my hand now, Charlie." She flashed me a grin. I noticed that I hadn't let go of her hand yet and quickly released it. My ears were burning now. "How do you get your ears the same shade as your hair?" She asked with a teasing expression.

"…" Normally I would've quipped something back at her, but this was a girl. And a pretty girl. I had never really spoken with one of those before. 

"Come on." She motioned me to follow her. Lin, how I love saying that, stepped on to the train and headed down a hallway. It was like she already knew where to go. Of course, I suppose she could've gotten on the train earlier and then seen me defending myself against Malcolm. I followed her, watching the passing cabins as we walked. Most were occupied by older students.

"Well here we are." We were near the back of the train standing on the outside of a cabin. Lin opened the door and said, "Hey Alec." My heart fell. Was this her boyfriend? I stepped into the cabin only because I wanted to see this Alec. Lin sat down next to him and punched his arm playfully. Alec didn't look too happy. "This is Charlie. He's a first-year like you."

"You're not a first-year." I said with confusion. I looked at Lin. She sure looked like a first-year.

"Yeah hard to believe. I'm so short, aren't I?" She grinned and let out a laugh. "No, I'm in my second-year. Anyway, this is Alec, my annoying younger brother." The relief I felt that he wasn't her boyfriend was drowned down by the fact that she was older than me. 

I looked closer at Alec. I could see the similarities. He had the same shade of brown hair though his was too short to tell whether it would be wavy or straight. His eyes were also a deep blue though they were a shade darker than his sister's. He was slightly shorter than Lin. 

"I just thought that a second-year wouldn't want to talk to a first-year… Even if I did get Malcolm off my back." I grinned. It was still hard to talk around her, but I did manage more coherent speech than before.

She laughed. I loved the sound of her laugh. It was like the music of an angel. Wow, I never knew I was a romantic. And a hopeless one at that. 

"I kinda have to hang around a first-year. My parents are paying me to watch Alec the first day and just show him around. Always nice to get extra cash." Lin clicked her fingers together. Alec frowned a bit.

"You're lucky you don't have a babysitter." Alec said as he looked at me. I wouldn't mind having Lin watch me. Not that I would say that. 

"Eh…" I shrugged. "My brother probably wouldn't want to do that job. Even for all the gold in the world." 

"That's a lot of gold…" Alec said quietly. "I doubt the goblins would want to hire him for such a simple job." I grinned. Maybe I could get some friends fairly quickly here. 

"Yeah… I'm sure they'd rather try him out on something more difficult. I swear there's a drop of goblin blood in him. He loves the shine of gold so much." I said. It was true. Bill did like that sort of stuff though I always wondered what the appeal of shiny objects was.

"You know. You don't have to stand around the doorway like a duck. Come and sit down." Lin nodded to the other seats across from her and Alec. Heat went to my face again. I walked down and sat across from Lin. She flicked her wand at the door, so it closed before slipping it into her pocket.

"You're not supposed to use magic out of school, sis." Alec noted with a disapproving frown that became a small smile. I knew this rule from Bill. 

"Yeah... I can see the Ministry busting into this train just because of my laziness. Now stop being such a nag." Lin yawned and grinned. "Know the rule kid?" I nodded my head. I can't believe she still calls me kid. Maybe she calls most people kid. Or maybe it means I'm something special. My heart skipped a beat.

"My brother told me. And my parents." It was true. They had burst into the no-magic lecture to Bill and I had to listen all the way home from the train station. It was torture especially if they repeat it every time we come home.

"Good for you." Lin said. "So, had fun with Malcolm?" 

"I guess you can call it that." I said before blushing. "…What's his problem?" I know, being nervous while asking a girl a question is stupid, but it still happened. I don't know what my problem is, so don't ask.

"Well he probably thinks he's the prince of some kingdom the way he acts." Lin shrugged. "Maybe his parents pampered him to prep him for that." She looked thoughtful for a few seconds before chuckling. 

"He's a hater. Don't mind him." Alec had spoken. He was staring at the wall, almost gloomy. Did he want to go to Hogwarts? I'd have to ask him. 

"So how old is he?" The question popped out of my mouth. I looked at Lin, expecting her to say second-year. Without me saying so, my eyes started to stare at her again. 

"If you quit staring with those nice eyes, I'll tell you." I looked away from her, averting my gaze to the floor. While not as pretty, it was preferable to looking at her when she noticed. I could feel the heat rising once again. I had not only been caught, but she had complimented me. My very first compliment from her and I hadn't even known her for an hour. 

"Stop being so mean to Charlie." Alec nudged his sister. I guess he meant completely embarrassing me. I didn't care right now if I was standing in my underwear. She had complimented me!

"Sorry…" Lin pouted. Wow, she looked cute when pouting. She looked back at me and my eyes fell once again. "Anyway, Malcolm is a first-year. I know him from…" She paused, contemplating her words. Alec nudged her again. I barely caught the small movement. "Well he visited once last year. Just to talk to Grag I guess." 

I stared, unable to think of how Bill had not noticed such a little jerk. I wondered if Lin and Alec were hiding something, but decided not to press it. It'd only be really bad if she had hesitated because she was married to the boy, but I didn't see that as a realistic possibility. The train jerked and I heard the whistle sound. It was time to go!

"Ready for Hogwarts, boys?" She added. "Think you can handle it kid?" 

"I'm set." I said with a grin. Alec stayed silent, still staring at the opposite wall. 

"Good." Lin smiled. "Then say good-bye to home. Hogwarts is coming!"

**Author's Notes: Alrightie… I don't think I left off at a big cliffhanger. Perfect timing actually… Not much to say except next chapter shall be in Hogwarts. Please press the little button and leave a review. I have cookies! Bye for now!**

_**Twilight Phantom Dragon**_


	3. What House?

**Author's Notes: Another chapter of Charlie's Dragon is here. This story is getting hard for me to write. I suppose it's because I have little inspiration right now to write this… Maybe it'll get easier to write later. For now, I'm having difficulties. Let's see… One more major character will come in this chapter. A hint; she's a first-year. There you go…. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter (or Charlie) or anything from here. JK Rowling owns them. However, I own this story, Lin, and Alec. As well as Malcolm and Grag.**

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_**Chapter 3: What House?**_

We had reached Hogwarts. Finally… The train ride had been long and Lin had left us eventually much to my disappointment. I suppose she has other friends. I found out Lin was in Ravenclaw. Okay, a Ravenclaw girl who's a year older than me. I don't think that's too bad. She could have been in Slytherin, which would've been a lot worse. Alec opened up a lot once his sister left. I suppose he's not a fan of her. Or maybe he just feels shy when she' around.

Once we got off the train, we were shepherded to some boats by a tall man named Hagrid. I remember Bill telling me about him. Hagrid was half-giant, which I suppose is what made him so big. Seeing as he's only half-giant, I wonder how big a real full-blood giant would be. The thought sent shivers through me.

Hagrid led us to some boats. I wasn't too eager about them. They were small and made out of wood. I wondered how old they were before being put in a boat with Alec and a few other kids. Thankfully, Malcolm was in a different boat. I learned that I was right to not like the boats. I got soaked to my bones with cold, freezing lake water. My shoes didn't fare well either. I wondered whether or not they would clean us up before sorting. Bill had remained mysterious about sorting and his first day. I think he just wanted me to figure out on my own. Figures. He was always like that.

Now we were all waiting in a chamber outside of the Great Hall. If you listened carefully, you could hear the sounds of kids talking and enjoying themselves in the Great Hall. It was pretty annoying actually. I bet they were warm, so unlike the little kids standing outside. My robes were still soaked, much to my dislike. Why couldn't they have done some spell? I don't want to appear in front of everyone in dripping robes. It would make a bad impression and I'm sure the older students would be unhappy about sitting next to a bunch of wet first-years. I sighed. This waiting was long. Alec seemed to not like it as well. He was jumpy and nervous. Conversation might be nice right now.

"Hey. What house do you want to get into?" I asked. I'm pretty proud of myself. My voice hadn't trembled a bit even as my teeth clacked together in the cold. I suppose it was better 

that we were inside instead of outside where the wind would bite at us. It was still pretty harsh, making us kids wait.

"I don't know… Gryffindor would be nice. Most of my family including my sister has always gone to Ravenclaw. Gryffindor is still my favorite." Alec said. His voice was quiet; I guess he doesn't like crowds either. That's going to be tough for him what with all the people that were in the Great Hall. I did perk up though upon hearing Gryffindor mentioned.

"I'll probably get in Gryffindor. I want to anyway. All my family's gone there…. Not including the ones who haven't gone to Hogwarts yet." I said with a smile.

I glanced over the other freezing first-years. A smirk came on to my face when I noticed that Malcolm was having difficulties keeping his teeth from chattering. Maybe my silent curse had worked. Maybe a wave had hit into him. I'm guessing he's Slytherin material. My eyes trailed over the other students before stopping on one person.

Another girl caught my eye due to her changing hair. I swear it had been a bubblegum pink a few seconds ago. I stared at her and then her hair turned from a nice shade of icy blue to a dark shade of blue shot through with ethereal white. I blinked in surprise. I was curious. How the heck do you get hair to do that? I wouldn't mind changing my red mess of hair into something that didn't mark me as a Weasley. It got annoying when people always knew what family I was from. As the girl began walking up to me and Alec, I realized that she had noticed my stares.

"Hello… What're you staring at? Certainly not me." She said, crossing her arms. One eyebrow was raised in question, causing me to rub my foot against the ground. Hey, I can be embarrassed for being caught staring. It's just that I had never seen changing hair before. Is that a crime?

I decided with the honest approach. "I've just never seen hair that changes color. What type of magic is that? Do you already know spells?" She laughed. I had never meant to say that much. I had meant to cut off after the first question. Whoops, I have really got to work on that.

"No. I'm a metamorphmagus." She probably saw my confused expression because she launched a short explanation. "I can change my appearance at will. It's not like being an animagus, someone who turns into an animal." I knew what those were. "I can alter my hair color, my eye color, and things like that." She smiled. Her hair had changed once more from its blue to a violet.

Now that she was closer, I took my time to examine her. Her hair was a little shorter than shoulder-length and spiky. She had a heart-shaped face. Her green eyes are lined with dark lashes. I suppose I can't be guaranteed her eyes are originally green. They might be brown or blue for all I know. She wore robes that billowed out on the floor and was a little shorter than me.

"Cool...A meta-what-you-said." I smiled. I could never remember that long name. And I was supposed to be the kid who could remember the scientific names of a billion species.

"Metamorphmagus." Alec corrected. I wonder how he knew. Then again, maybe Alec liked to read. I had never asked him though I had found out he liked potions. I thought about how Bill had said Snape, the professor of Potions, was pretty mean to most people. I had laughed then and imagined a rather tall man with beady eyes and a huge nose.

"The kid's got it right. My name is Nymphadora." I laughed at that and even Alec snorted in amusement. Nymphadora… Poor girl. Ha! It was hilarious! She glared at me. "Call me Tonks. No Nymphadora, just Tonks. Do that and we're off to a good friendship."

"Whatever you say, Nymphadora." I said which caused me and Alec to laugh once more. Her hair instantly turned into an angry red, giving her a scary look. I stopped laughing as did Alec. She smiled and her hair turned into an interesting violet. I watched with amusement.

"Tonks… I'll remember that. I'm Alec." Alec broke the silence. Alec offered his hand to be shaken. Tonks, Nymphadora, took his hand and gave it a hearty shake. She was smiling. Good… Now she won't get that murderous expression. I wonder what type of magic she can do. If she knows any that is.

"Good to meet you, Alec. And what about you?" She looked at me.

"Charlie. It's good to meet you Tonks." I figured she had had enough for today on being punished with having that name. Merlin, who would name their kid that? Nymphadora is a worse name than… Well I can't think of any at the moment, but I'll think of one eventually.

"Well then. It's good to meet you, Charlie." Tonks took my hand and shook it. She was pretty enthusiastic, I could tell.

"Students" The voice of Professor McGonagall broke into our perfectly nice conversation. Her voice reminded me of my mother in some ways when she punishing us or something. I could tell she was a strict teacher and the proof of Bill's stories only confirmed it. "I am here to inform you that the Great Hall is ready to accept you in. Now let's go. And try to look nice in front of the others." Well, it's kinda hand to look nice when you're dripping wet.

I still straightened my back. Best to look a little presentable unless I want to be shunned. I could already see older students edging away from us first-years when we sat down at the tables. I shuddered at the thought. I could see that Alec had his eyes on the bottom of his robes. I suppose he was ashamed too. Tonks, however, had a smile on her face and her hair was a bright shade of pink.

"Follow me." We plodded after McGonagall. I could see Malcolm out of the corner of my eyes. He was walking with confidence and an aura of arrogance. Okay, maybe I was the only one who saw that evil aura. What are you going to do about it?

The doors were thrown open and my eyes widened to take in all the sights. Four long tables stood proudly. Tapestries of the houses as well as the crest of Hogwarts hung on the wall. The ceiling was the most amazing part. It depicted the night sky. Magical. I was entranced by it and it took a push from Tonks to get me moving once more. My parents had told me a lot about the Great Hall and of its famed ceiling, but seeing it was way better. Great Merlin, I never thought I'd see anything that impressive.

The noise finally hit me. Students were chattering, but they stopped to stare as we filed in. I could hear them begin to murmur among themselves about us though I couldn't make out what they said. I satisfied myself with blocking their noise out. I dimly noted that the platters were empty though Bill had already explained the magic of the food appearing. I hadn't believed it at the time, but I was more open right now. My eyes looked for Bill as we got into a line.

"Now the Sorting shall begin!" The voice of an old person, creaking, but still strong, sounded in my ears. I looked over. This must be the Headmaster Dumbledore. He had a long nose, crooked. I smiled. He seemed like a nice guy. I looked at the stool that was near him.

A hat sat on the stool. It wasn't a very impressive hat at all. In fact, it was rather patchy. I had to hold my breath from laughing at the hat. My brother had always been sketchy on the details of Sorting. Something about me experiencing them for myself. My parents were just the same. Maybe the hat is part of some ritual… I jumped as something resembling a mouth began to speak, with noise coming out of it. The hat was talking.

"I might not be too pretty,

But don't judge me

I have power here

And I shall sort you into a House.

I will look through the contents of your mind

To see which house shall be good for you.

Created by our founders.

Godric Gryffindor with his bravery

Salazar Slytherin, the betrayer of them all,

Helga Hufflepuff, the nicest of the four,

And Rowena Ravenclaw, the wisest.

Will you be in Gryffindor

Where brave souls do abide?

Or shall you be in wise Ravenclaw

Where the students excel in academics?

Maybe you should be in Slytherin,

Sly and cunning is what they are.

Fair Huffepuff

Takes in all the others.

Now which house shall you go to?

Well that's where I come in.

I will help you choose

And then send you to the house

Where you shall be in for the rest of your time,

Here at Hogwarts."

The Sorting Hat finished his song and quieted. Wow, that was slightly creepy though pretty cool. I noticed that Dumbledore had taken out a scroll. I knew I would be on that list somewhere among the names of all the first-years. A chill of excitement ran through me. How cool was this? After all the stories, I was ready to get Sorted. Of course, I have to wait. And wait. And wait!

I drowned out the names as they were spoken. I had no desire to listen to names being said over again. My mind instead focused on searching out my brother. I found him fairly quickly. His shocking red hair stood out a bit, making him easy to locate. Once I finished this easy task, I began to search for Lin. My eyes drifted to the Ravenclaw table and began to scan over the length. I found her, sitting with a group of friends. No boy sat next to her with an arm draped around her shoulder. I took it as a good sign.

"Falani, Alec." The name sounded in my ears. It sounded familiar, but in my slightly delirious state I couldn't figure it. Oh well, I began to fade out. Alec bumped my arm and before I could hit him back, I noticed he had begun to walk towards the seat. Hehe… I suppose that was the person I had heard.

Alec sat down in the chair. The hat had a muttered conversation with Alec. Alec's face raged from distaste before a smile sat on his face.

"Gryffindor!" The hat shouted out load. Alec grinned before sauntering over to the table. He sat down, welcomed by the others. Well then, seems like they don't care that we're wet.

"Grindoc, Malcolm." Dumbledore called. Malcolm walked by with an arrogant grin on his face. He sat down in the chair.

"Slytherin!" The hat shouted as soon as it touched upon his head. Malcolm stood up, mind you, he doesn't jump. Malcolm walked to the Slytherin table. I ignored him and spaced out again.

"It's almost my turn. I know it. Wake up, sleepy." Tonks shook me by my shoulder. I nodded my head, slowly spacing back in.

Sorting is quite a boring progress. My stomach was starting to growl and I wanted to eat. Oh Merlin, why did my last name have to start with a 'W'? My feet were sore from standing in place. I wouldn't mind going outside right now, but I really wanted to get Sorted. Sorting marks the true beginning to my education here. Let's change education to life, shall we? Education seems too dull and boring.

"Tonks, Nymphadora." Dumbledore said. I could hear chuckles coming from the Slytherin table and a few choked-down laughs at the other tables. Tonks shot a quick glare at the Slytherins before proceeding to sit on the stool. The Sorting Hat thought.

"Hufflepuff!" He called. Or is it a girl hat? I think it's a guy from the voice, but how should I know?

Tonks happily jumped up and walked to the Hufflepuff table. I officially now know at least one person from each house. Slytherin; Grag and Malcolm, Hufflepuff; Tonks, Ravenclaw; beautiful Lin, and Gryffindor; Bill and Alec.

"Weasley, Charlie." Dumbledore called eventually. He had reached the end of the scroll and I was the last student standing.

I walked over and sat down on the stool. The Sorting Hat was placed on my head. It fell slightly over my eyes. The Hat smelled disgusting. Sorry, hat if you're looking through my mind right now. Anyway, it smelled ancient, but I suppose it had been around since the founders came.

"Gryffindor!" The Sorting Hat shouted and I grinned.

I'm in the greatest house ever. Yes, my parents will be so happy! Yes, yes, and yes. I was overjoyed. I walked down the steps and sat down next to Alec, smiling at the congratulations of fellow Gryffindors. I noted that Bill flashed me a thumbs-up sign before returning his gaze to Dumbledore. I followed the gaze barely having any time to congratulate Alec.

"Students, both new and old, we are here for the start of yet another year at Hogwarts." A cheer. Wow, these students really hung on to Dumbledore's words though I must say he seemed like a good headmaster. I listened intently, ignoring my hungry belly. "I must remind you all to stay out of the Forbidden Forest. There are many creatures that are dangerous there. This year is no exception. We have found large scales littering the forest ground and you must not go in there if you value your life."

Okay, I was really interested now. Large scales… I wonder what creatures those come from. I wouldn't mind seeing it, but I do value my life. Really, I don't want to die. Still, I was curious. I bet I would have a few dreams about this, nightmares too.

"Now I am sure you all are hungry." A chorus of "yes" sounded through the hall. Merlin, I was so starving. "Well then no more words except for let's eat." Dumbledore's speech ended.

Food appeared. Those empty platters were now laden with food. The smells were intoxicating and my stomach growled. My mouth was drooling and I quickly helped myself to some rolls, noodles, and meat. Some salad was added to the side of my plate. I ate quickly. Food was disappearing into my mouth. I was always a fast eater. It always amazed my younger siblings. I remember once Fred and George had slipped a clump of grass into my meal. I had stuffed it right into my mouth and chewed it halfway before realizing I what I was eating. Don't worry, I enacted revenge.

"You're a big eater, aren't you? Don't you ever enjoy your food?" Alec said.

"I do enjoy it." I said between bites. He shook his head in amazement, or maybe it was disgust before returning to his meal. I was finished before anyone else as I so often do. My stomach was now full of delicious food.

That's when I took some notice to the ghosts in the hall. I've never seen ghosts before and I watched them as they flew around the Great Hall. They were interesting and entertaining to watch. There was a great variety of them. I would get to know them over the time I spent on Hogwarts. The thought of living at Hogwarts hit me then as I watched those ghosts.

"Aren't you excited?" I said to Alec, earning a quizzical look from him. "We're going to have so much fun this year at Hogwarts! I can't wait to see how things go. This will be the best adventure ever!"

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**Author's Notes: Eh… I hate this chapter, it took forever to write and I'm still not pleased. Oh well, maybe it's the Sorting Hat song. That by its self took forever to write and I hate it. I'm fired from writing those songs xD I don't know when I'll next update… **

_**Twilight Phantom Dragon**_


	4. I Bet You

**Author's Notes: ****I must say this story is extremely hard to write at the moment. Originally, this chapter was going to be longer and actually have him go into the forest. I decided to shorten it. Why? Well I do owe you the chapter and it would've taken me too long to type the rest. Sorry. I really do feel bad :( It's just gotten so hard; sometimes I can't even put in all my effort. Plus, I've got other stories that I like writing better. Shoot me, you have the right. Well now that I'm done, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It turned out fine despite my wish to have extended it.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything from here. JK Rowling owns them. However, I own this story, Lin, and Alec. As well as Malcolm and Grag.**

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_**Chapter 4: I Bet You**_

It's been a lot of weeks since Hogwarts started. Already, it's October. October 31 to be exact. So far school has been fine. Homework is completely and utterly boring though Alec doesn't complain while doing it. He says that there's no use in complaining and that it only makes things worse. Tonks disagrees, vowing that homework is a plot to suck away all the fun time we could be having instead. Tonks complains a lot about it all the time. I can't help complaining when we get an extremely heavy load, but usually it's okay. Well as okay as homework can be for a growing boy such as myself. Really, I'd rather be spending time outside.

My classes are going along fine. Well except for Potions, but I blame the teacher, not myself. The teacher is none other than Severus Snape. Snape, as we must call him, is really mean to us Gryffindors. You would think he wouldn't choose favorites, but no he totally does. He treats the Slytherins as if they're the ruling house with Malcolm as their prince. Ugh, Malcolm is so not close to princely. I suppose this is because Snape is the head of Slytherin. Snape doesn't have a nice bone in his body. I can't stand Potions and I always dread that class. Ugh, I'm not looking forwards for the years of it that I have left. But who knows? Maybe a flying car will hit Snape and that will be the end of my problems. Hey, I can wish, can't I?

I would talk about the rest of my classes, but who cares about classes? Let's talk about my life instead. Bill mostly ignores me at school. I don't really mind. It would be embarrassing if he was one of those brothers who wanted to watch me like a hawk. You know, to ensure that I didn't get into trouble. He's not like that at all. I think he would be happy if I didn't go here, but he just has to deal with me here. No, we don't hate each other. I think he just gets embarrassed of me sometimes. He still talks to me, but we each prefer to hang out with our other friends.

Talking about other friends, Alec and I have grown to be best friends. He's so much more outgoing when he's not around his sister. We joke around all the time. Still, we have a lot of differences. He never complains about anything. All he says is that you can't change anything, so why should you complain about it. I hold a different viewpoint on this. You should tell people when you're upset right. I don't complain about everything, only sometimes such as when we get heavy loads of homework or when Snape has especially been unfair.

Tonks and I are fairly good friends too. It's hard having a friend in another House. We get into arguments whenever Quidditch games come around and we're always sitting at different stands. Tonks cheers for her House, I cheer for mine. That's just the way things are. Still, we're good friends. Tonks is really good at making people laugh with her special ability. She does a good impression of Snape complete with everything from his nose to his voice. Okay, the voice isn't perfect, but it's good.

Lin… Well she's year older than me, so of course she doesn't always hang out with the three of us. After all, she has her own friends. I still harbor that crush on her that I've had since day one. Fortunately, I can control myself better, which means it's easier for me not to make a fool of myself. Those first days were really embarrassing… I don't even want to think about how big of a fool I acted like. Whenever Lin's around, Alec disappears in a shell. Strange, huh? Who knew siblings could have such an effect? Someone interrupted my stream of thoughts.

"Hey chicken, I bet you can't go into the Forbidden Forest at night," taunted a voice. I growled. Malcolm, of course. He always does manage to annoy me. I turn around to look him in his beady eyes.

"No, I'm not a coward," I say. My jaw is clenched as I fight down the desire to punch Malcolm out. However, I don't think I would be too safe with that plan as Grag is standing behind Malcolm. He cracks his knuckles to let me know that he's paying attention. I fight down the gulp. That monster of a boy scares me.

"Then how about a bet? You and me, Forbidden Forest as the sun falls. We can see who the stronger and braver wizard is." Malcolm is smirking now. I must not be caught up in this bet. My mind searches for an excuse that won't make me look like I'm scared. Because I totally am not.

"What about the Halloween feast?" I counter. Perfect excuse… People would notice someone missing, won't they? Even Malcolm wouldn't want to get detention for some little bet. Or so I assume he wouldn't.

"You don't have to make excuses, wimp. Just say you're too much of a chicken to come along." Malcolm nodded and the desire to punch him grew. "I'll understand. All those scary creatures are too much for a widdle Gryffindor. Not much of a lion, is he Grag?"

"No, no lion here." Grag shook his head wildly. His speech was still simple and more animal than human. I guess he sold his brain for those muscles. Who would do that I don't know?

"They should switch the mascot from a lion to a big, white chicken. It would suit the House more." Okay, this time Malcolm had gone way too far. Insulting my House isn't something you can get away with. Anger coursed through my system. I always had been more emotional than my other siblings. I guess that's what drove me to do it.

My fist connected with his jaw, making a loud cracking sound. It was satisfying and I couldn't help a grin from coming on to my face. Sure, my knuckle was hurting. The look on Malcolm's face was worth it. He was surprised that I punched him and it showed on his stupid face. Blood dripped from his gaping mouth. He really hadn't expected that. Ha! That will show him not to mess with me. Or any of my friends.

"Weasley!" The strict voice sent a jolt through my systems. No, he hadn't seen. No, no! I'm doomed, finished. Why, oh why? Why did he have to choose that moment to appear here? Even if he had come here earlier, I bet he would've blamed me anyway. Yeah, it was Snape.

"What did you do to this poor boy?" Snape came up to the three of us. A deep frown was on his face though I could see the shimmer of joy deep within his eyes. Figures he would be happy to punish me.

"Look, Professor Snape, he was aggravating me. He was saying that Gryffindor wasn't fit to-" I was cut off by Snape's raised finger.

"It doesn't matter the reason. You don't go around and punch other students in the jaw like that. I'm afraid I'm going to have to forbid you from going to the Halloween Feast." A pleased smile formed on Snape's lips as I stuttered. Forbidden from a feast?! And my first Halloween here at Hogwarts to boot… It's all Malcolm and Grag's faults. Both of them though mostly Malcolm…

I knew I couldn't just stay angry at him, or at least I couldn't show it. Snape would love that. It would give him reason to punish me harder. Maybe give me detention for a few days. Instead I nodded my head like a defeated dog. That's how I felt to except for the shimmer of happiness that I was smart enough to avoid further punishment. Of course, Snape might not even be seeking to punish me further. "Yes, Professor Snape."

"Good." I could see the edges of Snape's smile tweak downwards just a tad in a frown. Yes, victory for Charlie! I have decieved the Potions Master. I really am good! "Malcolm, I suggest you go have Madam Promfrey check that out." He stalked off and I glared at his receding back. What I wouldn't give for something to fall on him at that moment? Of course, nothing did fall.

"I'm going into the Forbidden Forest tonight. You better be there unless you're too scared," I teased Malcolm though my tone was dead-serious. My mind was made up. Going into that forest would be the only way I can enact revenge on Malcolm for causing this exile from the feast. I had really been looking forwards to it. He looked shocked. Guess he didn't think I would actually say yes. Well he was dead wrong. I was taking him up on this little bet.

"Right. Well we'll see if you don't chicken out in the end." Malcolm waved his hand to Grag. "Let's go, Grag. I have an appointment to make before tonight." Yeah, an appointment to fix your jaw. I fought back laughter. He walked off in a fashion that reminded me of a defeated villian. Well he is a villain, so the metaphor works. Grag glared at me.

"You betta' show." Grag grumbled in a voice that reminded me of a baby and a brute at the same time. To my surprise, he pulled his fist back to punch me. I glared right back at him. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins right now. I didn't care that a hulking monster was in front of me instead of that wimp, Malcolm. I could totally take him. He wouldn't stand a chance. I'd have him blubbering like a baby.

"Grag!" Malcolm called. Grag grumbled and walked off after shoving me to the ground. I stood up and dusted myself off. Okay, thank you Malcolm. I had been just about to get myself killed by Grag... Who knew Malcolm would save me with a simple command? I couldn't resist taunting after Grag.

"Bye-bye doggy," I called to Grag, causing him to give a growl of anger. I chuckled as the two walked off. Yes, this was a victory for me. Don't look at me weirdly. He's a bit like a dog. He has the whole follow-Malcolm-because-he's-my-master thing down. Just like a loyal pet dog.

Then, the realization of what I was going to do sunk in. I was going to break the rules to sneak into some stupid forest just because some stupid boy drove me nuts. Man, I must be crazy or something. Fear stabbed me. Fear of what was in those dark woods and fear of being discovered. What if Snape caught me? Oh well, it was too late for regrets. Plus, all the teachers would be in the Great Hall feasting. And no one would notice that a little first-year was missing as Snape had punished me. I gulped anyway. What had I done? Stupid, stupid Charlie.

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**A/N: Well, there it was. The next chapter will involve Charlie's friends telling him not to go as well as him actually going into the forest. What will he find there? Will Malcolm be waiting there with a teacher? And will this story ever be easier to write? Find out all this and more next! Except maybe that last question… Reviews are appreciated and thanks to all those who reviewed last chapter.**

_**Twilight Phantom Dragon**_


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